


Seven Hours In Hell

by Imnotweirdjustwriting



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 20:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imnotweirdjustwriting/pseuds/Imnotweirdjustwriting
Summary: Albert's stuck on a long train ride with a handsome man, one that's exceptionally emotional.





	Seven Hours In Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Like 7 minutes in heaven get it.

Two hours into the train ride and Albert was wondering why he hadn’t just splurged for a damn plane ticket. His ass hurt from sitting in such a small seat for so long, and the woman next to him was slowly building up a wall between them of bags and purses, forcing Albert to pitch up against the freezing window for any space. 

A plane would’ve been exactly the same, except he would have been going in for a landing by now instead of having five damn hours left.

The hot and crowded train car he was in had one saving grace, and that was the hot guy sitting in front of him. 

He’d gotten on a stop after Albert, shuffling past the ladies and their bags before sinking his lithe body into the seat across from Albert. His foot knocked against Albert’s knee as he tried to cross his legs, and he let out a quiet, “sorry.” 

“No problem,” Albert said, taking a moment to look at him. He was tall, his hair and clothes rumpled even before the train had started again. Albert’s heart did a little flip in his chest, piqued with interest. 

Now two hours had passed and they hadn’t done anything but exchange brief and awkward glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking. 

Mystery guy was typing away at his laptop, a sound that was starting to irritate Albert for no other reason but the fact that it was all he was hearing. He doubted the guy’s laptop had much battery left in it anyways. 

“Fuck,” the guy said in his nice voice, starling the woman next to him. “Sorry,” he muttered immediately, going back to typing. Whatever he was working on must have been important.

Albert checked his phones for texts again, and found nothing. Damn his friends, never texting when he needed to be looking at his phone in awkward situations. He let himself zone out on a game for a while, hoping to pass the time with a distraction.

He played until the screen started to blur, but the clock informed him it had only been a half hour. Damn public transport. He located his headphones, digging in his bag where it had been pushed beneath his seat. His head nearly bounced off the guy’s knee as he leaned down, and the guy moved his leg quickly.

Way to make it awkward, Albert chastised himself as he sat up. He leaned his head against the window, letting the cool glass relax him. He was on a train, crowded against a window, sweating through his t-shirt in front of a shockingly handsome guy.

He’d been in worse scenarios.   
The woman next to him seemed to take that as her cue to make this worse. She’d nodded off sometime during Albert’s game frenzy, and now she let out a mighty and terrifying snore. 

Albert jumped at the sound, looking at the guy before he realized he was doing it and found he was looking at Albert as well. He raised an eyebrow and winced inaudibly. Albert fought off a grin, pleased that the guy was looking at him. 

The lady snored again, and Albert made a disapproving face at the guy. He grinned, a perfect flash of white teeth. Albert’s heart did a bigger flip. 

They kept swapping glances, making faces at each other every time the woman snored. Albert nearly forgot how much his legs were cramping from sitting there so long. Eventually they lost interest in whatever game they were playing, and the guy went back to his laptop. 

Albert put his headphones in to block out the snoring, hitting play on the first playlist that came up. Music immediately drowned out the woman, and he was hit with a wave of exhaustion once he stopped focusing on everything. 

Sleep seemed like a blissful escape from his traincar prison, and soon he was just as asleep as the lady next to him.

He woke up when a bag connected solidly with his head, knocking him right out of his dream that sort of maybe included the guy across from him.

The woman next to him appeared to be readying to leave, completely oblivious to the fact that she’d woken Albert up, back into hell. 

He sunk lower into his seat, checking his phone for the time. Two more hours passed. Just over two left. He felt a flash of joy for the first time since the beginning of the train ride. 

The train screeched to a halt and the woman was gone in seconds. Albert exhaled, hard, stretching his arms for the first time in hours. 

He looked up at the guy. He had put his laptop away and was typing on his phone, frowning. Albert watched him as he typed, his face shifting as he worked. There was a furrow between his eyebrows that seemed to be worsening by the moment. He dropped his phone into his lap suddenly, turning his face towards the window. 

Albert checked his phone for texts again. Nothing. He stopped his music finally, stuffing his headphones into his pocket so he didn’t have to reach for them again.

The guy sniffed, like he was coming down with a cold. Albert looked at him once again and was shocked to see tears rolling freely down his face.

They were the only ones in the traincar now, and Albert felt like he couldn’t just leave him there.

“Hey,” he said in the gentlest voice he could manage. “You good?”

The guy looked at Albert, seemingly shocked he was talking to him. “It’s fine,” he managed, his voice thick with tears. 

“Really? Not trying to pry but, you don’t seem fine.” 

The guy shrugged, one shoulder falling before the other. “It’s no big deal,” he started, pressing his hands into his eyes as he let out a shaky breath. “Fuck.”

“Hey,” Albert said in the same voice. He moved across to sit next to the guy on an impulse, maybe thinking some interaction would help. “It’s okay.”

The guy shook his head, crying harder now. “This is awful.”

Albert had no idea if he was referring to the train or something else. “It’ll be okay,” he said for no reason.

“It’s not,” the guy shook his head like it could stop the tears. “I can’t do this.”

He dropped his head onto Albert’s shoulder without warning, smearing his tears onto his shirt. Albert did everything he could not to jump, awkwardly patting the guys hair as he cried harder. “It’s okay,” he said. 

They sat like that for what felt like forever, Albert slumped so the handsome guy could steadily soak his shirt with tears. 

“It’s gonna be okay,” Albert said again, stroking his arm down the guy’s arm. “Let it out man.”

The guy took a very shaky breath, sitting up as fast as he’d leaned down. “I’m sorry,” he said, sounding miserable. “I didn’t mean to cry all over you.”

“It’s fine,” Albert said, shrugging his soaked shoulder. 

“It’s damn embarrassing. I don’t even know you.”

“I’m Albert,” he said firmly. “So now you do know me.”

“Finch,” he said, wiping at his face harshly. “Dumb name, I know.”

“I think it’s cool,” Albert offered.

Finch smiled through the last of his tears. “Thanks.” he fumbled with the ends of his sleeves. “Sorry, today’s just been so awful.”

“Hey, happens to the best of us,” Albert nudged him with his shoulder, coaxing another grin out of him. “Makes the train ride more bearable.”

“Sobbing on some attractive guy?” Finch said. 

Albert blinked. “A what guy?”

Finch grimaced. “Fuck, sorry.”

“No!” Albert said, a little too excited. “No, you’re like totally hot.”

“Oh,” Finch said. “Thanks.” He laughed, finally done crying. “What time is it?”

“Just over an hour left,” Albert told him.

Finch beamed. “I’m sick of this stupid train.”

“Me too.” Albert tilted his phone towards Finch. “Give me your number and we can play 8-ball?” he said, half a question and half a suggestion.

“Slick move,” Finch teased, but took the phone anyway. He handed it back when he was done, and they passed the time with games. Finch elbowed Albert gently to mess up his shots, and Albert retaliated by taking his shots, dragging his hand across Finch’s screen to sabotage him. They laughed and teased and exchanged smiles and casual touches. 

The train rattled to its final stop too soon, both of them caught up in each other. 

“Our stop,” Finch said, fixing Albert with a look. “Walk me off?”

Albert took his bag and Finch’s arm, smiling at him. “Off we go, Finch.”

Finch smiled back, and Albert knew they’d be seeing each other again soon. “Off we go.” And they stepped out of their personal hell together, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> 2019 and I'm back on my bullshit!   
> Isa if you're there,,,, <3 thanks for the prompt


End file.
